The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-05

fessor. who had never before been in balloon
/ and who was a man over sixty years old, deter
mined to mount above the clouds. Making up
his mind TO mount alone he begged his friends
| to collect his bones, and went up rapidly amid
the applause of the crowd. His courage did
| not result disastrously, for he was able to
| descend safely.
Mr.. W. j. HOLLAND, the naturalist of the
United States eclipse expedition to Japan writes
to the Pittsbure Dispatch to say that the popu-
lation of Japan is 80, 100000. Investigations
made by the writer lead him to believe that
there are in Japan, for every man, woman and
child, at least 100000 feas The number of
feas in Japan is. therefore. 80. 000 000 600 900,
and their aggregate weight is IT'S tons"
NJ LAFoRREsTIER, an old music teacher who
recently died in Paris. endowed with his fort
une fund whose purpose is the consolation of
young ladies disappointed in the b ope of finding
fame and fortune on the stage. Ali those whose
illusions were thus ruthlessly dispelled to
receive sums that will enable them to pass the
first DAYS of bitter disappointment in unds-
turbed retirement. and to lay subsequently, the
foundation for another existence
JOHN BRIGHT has son in Parliament. Will
liam Lthe Bright. and he is ardent Home
ruler He made speech in favor of Mr. Glad
stones measure recently and his venerable sire
wrote him a sharp letter taking him to task for
uttering sail that sort of nonsense The
young man replied in substance follows:
Dear Father am in receipt of your letter, and
after efully reading have come to the conclusion
thatit is not such communication statesman
should address to another therefore, you'll excuse
if do not answer it.
The old gentleman was so pleased with the
response that ne had further reproaches to
offer.
M. CHEvREUL, whose one hundred and first
anniversary has just been celebrated. re-
Gently waited upon by a delegation of friends,
and one of them said: I'VE have to find
have a new celebration of your anniversary"
The great mans eye twinkled, and he said rather
slyly: This is extremely&ind of you. but
you quite sure that you will abe in position to
fix the date9" Certainly" Said the spokesman
1T should be in August, as it was last year"
"Oh! MouoDieu" said NJ. Chevreul, Il
had come to consult me about celebrating my
two-hundredth birthday. AS for the other
had better let it BASS without any celebration"
MRS S. G. EccLEsToN. who returned recently
to the Argentine Republic, is of sixteen
women teachers who went from this country
about four years ago at the urgent request of
the Argentine Minister of Education and were
placed in charge of public schools in the several
provinces The fact that all were Protestants
caused them to be regarded with suspi-
cion at first IN country where the Roman
Catholic is the prevalent as well as the state
liglon; but it soon came to be understood that
their teaching was purely secular. and the
schools are we'll attended by all classes. Mrs.
Ecceston speaks with enthusiasm of the success
of their educational work, and Of the generous
treatment the North American teachers received
from the government
THE late Fish Commissioner Baird once laid
before the President two curt letters from
Comptroller Durham in regard to some accounts.
The President sent for Durham and suggested
that the accoun IS should be settled. The latter
replied that sit could not be DONE" whereupon
Cleveland replied, well, am very sorry Pro-
fessor Baird has assured me that he can make
no further explanation. and that he cannot
dertake to administer the Office longer if he is to
be unduly hampered in regard to the expendi-
lures Now, l do not know where I could find
a to fill Professor Bairds place if he were
resign. but suppose l could easily find
to fill the Office of First Comptroller of the
Treasury" 1t is understood that Durham took
the hint. and that the accounts were settled.
THERE is something very pathetic about the
gondoliers strike at Venice which is ended. The
penny steamer is relentlessly improving the
+ most graceful craft in existence off the face of
! the Venetiaa lagoons. They can scarcely last
much longer. Nature had for a long time kept
the faint of the railway out of Venice; but once
steam made its way into the canals. the conclu-
sion was foregcne one. The case of the gon-
doliers is peculiarly hard A few years ago they
numbered as many as 1000 out of a population
of 100, 900. That was before the French
pany started the steam launches. Since then,
year by year, their number has been reduced.
the reduction is not made by circumstances,
but by the action and arbitrary interference of
the municipality. The steam launches rni n
ing the old trade The one little bit of monop-
oily they possessed was the subject of the last
blow struck at them by the authorities Many
trains into Venice after sunset, and the
steamers were not allowed to ply at night. The
municipality removed this prohibition and the
gondollers struck.
THE Shah of Persia intends visiting Europe
next April, and will go to ali the principal CAPT.
tails, invitations already having been received at
Teheran from London, St Petersburg and Paris.
The Shah is to travel overland, as his dignity
will not permit him to cross the Caspian in
Russian steamer The Persian flag former
ly paramount in these waters, but it has seldom
been seen in the Caspian since tragical affair
which recently occurred at Baku. The Shah's
yacht entering the harbor with the Persian
flag flying. when shot was fred from the fort,
which struck the water near her. The Persian
captain thought that he being saluted by
the Russians, and pursued his course; but pres
emily three more shots came in rapid succession,
each one in more dangerous proximity to the
vessel. whereupon he hauled down the flag. The
Russians morbidly tenacious such points
IN Eastern waters. but this manifestation of zeal
was regarded ill-tm ed at st. Petersburg the
obnoxious vessel being royal yacht. and it is
said that the Shah was enraged that he caused
his luckless captains head to be chopped off,